"Well, I've got, let's say, an adventure-training package that he's happy for you to go on. The massed bands of the Army Cadets are holding a tattoo in Rome this week - how do you filling in for one of their members? You'd be performing publicly."

Yeahhh... I only realised she was pointing it in a somewhat unsafe direction in that second frame (the third she's pointing it off to the left, though it's a bit difficult to see) once the inking was done. At least I can assure you it's unloaded. Sadly probably the only time you'll see her PPK for this entire arc.

Also what, for Monty, passes as combat/theivery/assassination/parkour/general wrong-doing clothing, cut down for agility over firepower. Hat is held on by artistic license and the whole ensemble aimed to make her look like she's just stepped out of a British heist film. Typography for shits and giggles, I don't think there's quite two hundred million in that casio, but it fit in neatly.

!Achtung! wrote:MMM Ive been trying to do that "Top Down" View ever since forever and its hella hard. NICE JOB Mate!

Yeah, I used to try with perspective lines, but all I wound up with were people who looked kinda like ridgid carrots Honestly now I just sort of guess. I found really arching the back helps a bit.

@Danjo3 wrote:That’s exactly what I was thinking when I first looked at it. And yeah, I’d pay to see the movie.

Haha, cheers mate. I'd really rather like to make that movie... hmm, maybe when Robert's evil plans to aquire the rights to a GSG anime come to fruition I can convince him to make it as a filler episode.

You know, it's not really so improbable for the lid to stay on. You know those loose socks that are intermittently fashionable amongst Japanese schoolgirls?

I recently discovered that they stop these dropping around their ankles with glue. No, really, they coat their shins in actual literal glue... I suppose it's not inconceivable that, in order to maintain the worker-kitsch retro-chic of her ensemble, Monty could Pritt-Stik the cap to her hair...

Monty: Hmm, pass. Artistic license works just fine and I don't have to try and wash it out afterwards.

That said, it could make a pretty funny moment if someone catches her at it... sudden revelations as to just how much work really goes into maintaining Monty's look. As I've said elsewhere: the best way to look effortless, is to put some effort into it.

@Alfisti wrote:Trying my hand at some high angle, which I really need to improve on

It is a tough angle, but as usual you've done a terrific, stylish job.

Also what, for Monty, passes as combat/theivery/assassination/parkour/general wrong-doing clothing, cut down for agility over firepower. Hat is held on by artistic license and the whole ensemble aimed to make her look like she's just stepped out of a British heist film.

I get the impression that Monty spends a lot of effort considering & planning her outfits for maximum effect (perhaps during those long drives with Jethro), and then plays it off like the finished result all just came together. Of course, I'd never say that out loud, where she could hear me...

Typography for shits and giggles, I don't think there's quite two hundred million in that casio, but it fit in neatly.

Placing the text at an angle that contradicts the one Monty is drawn at serves to draw out her lines, giving visual reference to the high angle from which you've penned her.

Honestly, no idea. For a little I thought maybe Carey Mulligun would suit the role, but not anymore... (Oh come on... I know everyone's idly wondered who they'd get to play their OCs if they ever got to make a movie.) Considering the likely budget of any "Alfisti Production" it'd just be some total random.

@Professor Voodoo wrote:I get the impression that Monty spends a lot of effort considering& planning her outfits for maximum effect (perhaps during thoselong drives with Jethro), and then plays it off like the finishedresult all just came together. Of course, I'd never say that out loud,where she could hear me...

I think it's probably more a case of me spending far too much time planning out her outfits for maximum effect.

That said, I reckon Monty probably does put a fair bit of thought into what she wears... and yes she'd never admit it. However I think that's also in an "initial" sense, or a buying sense. You've said it yourself: her wardrobe's limited simply by space constraints, so I think instead of having a lot to chose from she instead has a number of looks that she knows work and an everyday wardrobe that's fairly interchangeable. One of the better bits of fashion advice I was given was "establish a style, then work on variations of that", which is essentially what Monty does. One of the upsides of J+M always being on the move is that the latter doesn't need to live in terror of being seen the same outfit twice.

Practical upshot being of course that, though Monty likes to look good, and unless she actually needs something, "shopping" probably bores her to tears.

Been meaning to do another drawing of the boffins from the background of this pic. Threw in MP5's Fiona (with his permission) as well.

So, from left to right: As-Yet-Unnamed-Hipster-Boffin-One, Fiona Loreto, As-Yet-Unnamed-Hipster-Boffin-Two and As-Yet-Unnamed-Nerdish-Boffin-One.

With the exception of MP5's Fiona I've not really got a lot on this mob at the moment. I picture the two blokes to the left as being more involved in the spy gadget scene. They like indie music you've never heard of, anything made by Apple, Penguin classics, single-source fair-trade coffee, vinyl, anything made before 1970, typography, fixed-gear bicycles, using said bicycles for impromptue rounds of polo in the SWA carpark... and James Bond.

Nerd-boffin definately would fall under electronics and programing and likes nerd humor, high-performance computers, 4chan, particle physics and string theory... and James Bond.

Last edited by Alfisti on Tue 28 Sep 2010 - 12:21; edited 2 times in total

@Alfisti wrote:With the exception of Fiona I've not really got a lot on this mob at the moment. I picture the two on the left as being more involved in the spy gadget scene. They like...anything made by Apple...particle physics...and string theory...

@Alfisti wrote:With the exception of Fiona I've not really got a lot on this mob at the moment. I picture the two on the left as being more involved in the spy gadget scene. They like...anything made by Apple...particle physics...and string theory...

Well they will get along well with Michele.

Then he may need to act as mediator from time to time. I doubt many fratelli have quite the, umm... dubious, perhaps? approach to the tech-division boffins that J+M do... though, by the same token, I doubt too many cyborgs have to put up with being classified as "Resident Bond Girl" by a mob of 007 fanboys either. Jethro, as mentionied elsewhere, cut his spurs fending off the original Q-branch so tends to take whatever the boffins say with a sizeable portion of salt.

@Alfisti wrote:With the exception of Fiona I've not really got a lot on this mob at the moment. I picture the two on the left as being more involved in the spy gadget scene. They like...anything made by Apple...particle physics...and string theory...

Well they will get along well with Michele.

Then he may need to act as mediator from time to time.

Always willing to help a lady in distress, be it buying her a Tanq10 after a hard day in the office or running interference when she has a technical need.

...various concepts for Kisk's Kara in casual "on a yacht" wear. I like doing this sort of stuff for other OCs, particularly the fashion-concious Kara. As much as I love playing with Monty's retro looks, sometimes it's nice to try a few more contemporary looks.

Personally I like the the first and last looks best, the two "nautical" dresses just didn't quite work. The second last I like, but is more the sort of thing I picture Robert's Agapita, being lighter and less structured, wearing than Kara.

I continue to be impressed by your ability to keep the characters consistent & recognizable with each sketch...I have to copy & paste to achieve such regularity.

You're right, there's just something a bit odd about the two dresses, but I can't say exactly what. My eye is drawn to the belts; the rest of each outfit is light & breezy, but the belts seem heavy & cumbersome. Perhaps that's what's throwing it off. Just a theory.

The thing I most get a kick out of is that we get to see your thought process laid out on the page. Some people think out loud...you seem to think with your pencil!

Hmm. I think that the belts look fine, myself - while admittedly Southampton isn't exactly a hub of haute couture, looking in the clothes shops in the mall here I've seen similar designs in the clothes in the window displays, so I suppose that it's fashionable nowadays. The one thing I might say is that with the second, fully-striped dress, her belt looks as though it is riding very high - it seems to be clenching her stomach like a corset rather than resting on her waist.

@Professor Voodoo wrote:I continue to be impressed by your ability to keep the characters consistent & recognizable with each sketch...I have to copy & paste to achieve such regularity.

You're right, there's just something a bit odd about the two dresses, but I can't say exactly what. My eye is drawn to the belts; the rest of each outfit is light & breezy, but the belts seem heavy & cumbersome. Perhaps that's what's throwing it off. Just a theory.

The thing I most get a kick out of is that we get to see your thought process laid out on the page. Some people think out loud...you seem to think with your pencil!

Yeah, the belt on the first one may be part of the problem... the second one actually isn't supposed to be a belt but rather another panel of navy fabric buttoned at the front. It's supposed to give a similar bust enhancing effect like an Empire waistline whilst still looking a bit slimming rather than umm, pregnant.

As a different mate said though: thought he navy/white striping looks great, it's also a bitch to get right. So in all reality it's probably also just my own lack of experience showing

@Robert Frazer wrote:Hmm. I think that the belts look fine, myself - while admittedly Southampton isn't exactly a hub of haute couture,looking in the clothes shops in the mall here I've seen similar designsin the clothes in the window displays, so I suppose that it'sfashionable nowadays. The one thing I might say is that with thesecond, fully-striped dress, her belt looks as though it is riding veryhigh - it seems to be clenching her stomach like a corset rather thanresting on her waist.

Yeah, the two nautical looks were inspired by a few things I saw in Myer and David Jones (department stores, I guess our equivalent to the US Macy's) the other day. An yeah, the belt is supposed to ride high. I've seen belts worn like that once or twice. Seems to let the lower portion of the dress flow more. Unfortunately the drawing doesn't really portray that well

Eh, haven't had the chance to draw much J+M recently... so here's an older scribble that's been sitting around in my sketchpad for a bit.

I'm sure Jethro thought it was an amusing way to update The Agency on his and Monty's whereabouts.

...Based on a segment of "Kingdom of Fear" where Hunter's talking about how much you can learn just from sitting in the bar of Hotel Nacional de Cuba with a drink and listening. I imagine it's even better if you've got super-sensitive cyborg hearing.

Last edited by Alfisti on Mon 25 Oct 2010 - 5:20; edited 1 time in total

@Professor Voodoo wrote:Bit of old-school Havana here (the KGB after all was defunct about the time Monty was born)...but for your purposes the exotic, romanticized capitol works better than what's it's like today.

Well... Lets face it, J+M's universe does tend to be a little romanticized anyway. As I said to Kisk and Achtung in the chatbox: had I not found out that Bahama Air still operated 737-200s (with the old JT-8D engines) then J+M probably would have arrived in Nassau on a B.O.A.C Comet 4.

Though I don't really intend to twist things quite that retro anymore, some of that oldschool romanticism is likely going to bleed through every now and then.

@Alfisti wrote:Though I don't really intend to twist things quite that retro anymore, some of that oldschool romanticism is likely going to bleed through every now and then.

So noted. Something you said in another thread inspired a scene in my upcoming J&M/E&M story. Monty, being an avid student of Britan in the 1960's realizes at some point that Elio was actually alive back then, a living, breathing artifact of her favorite period in history.

Just a picture I found online, but it will suffice as a portrait of Elio Alboreto at age 17.

Rough concept illustration dump... the rest of the set to go with the earlier pics of Kara. So first is Kisk's Michele:

I figure Michele's looks tend to be stylish but conservative. Experimented briefly with rolling the bottom of his chinos for a more contemporary look, but decided it didn't work. It did however make a mess of the bottom of his pants. Suiting wise, unlike Jethro (and Monty as well) who tend toward slim, dapper cuts, I imagine Michele having a more masculine look in the more classicly Italian tradition. Steered away from more trend driven styalistic cues as well such as peaked lappels and angled pockets.

Next two of course belong to Professor Voodoo... Elio and Marisa Alberto:

I'll admit, Elio's always a hoot to draw as I picture him physically as being a sort of mix between Sean Connery in "The Rock", Chuck Norris and Santa Claus. As such his design is influenced somewhat by western comics and Streetfighter. Hence the little "Kung-Fu" bit up the top.

As a side note, this was the first attempt at drawing diving kit. After talking to Voodoo it was fixed up a bit for Marisa's designs. Eventually I'll change his kit to reflect what she has... albeit somewhat less hilariously oversized:

Yes, I realise that's a lot of white for Mari to be wearing, but in a clean environment it should stay white for at least half a day...

Michele looks a good deal younger than I had been picturing him. As you observed in your notes that may be because of the size relationship between his head and his shoulders. Of the two drawings I think I like the one at left more, mainly due to the slight peak in his hair.

I'll admit, Elio's always a hoot to draw as I picture him physically as being a sort of mix between Sean Connery in "The Rock", Chuck Norris and Santa Claus. As such his design is influenced somewhat by western comics and Streetfighter. Hence the little "Kung-Fu" bit up the top.

Chuck Norris? Oh god I'll have to make sure make sure that doesn't reach Elio's ears. As an avid film buff he would become despondent to hear that even a small element of his physical appearance was based on an irredeemable hack.Something I forgot to mention in the PM's is that Elio would have to wear a 2-window dive mask...since he uses perscription ground lenses. A single window (like Marisa's) perscription mask does not exist.

Final Elio note; the forward head tilt gives the appearance of a scowl...I love it.

Yes, I realise that's a lot of white for Mari to be wearing, but in a clean environment it should stay white for at least half a day...

Marisa: Awww come on...I try!

My favorite thing about the way you draw Mari is the facial expression...you just know she's up to something.

@Professor Voodoo wrote:Chuck Norris? Oh god I'll have to make sure make sure that doesn't reach Elio's ears. As an avid film buff he would become despondent to hear that even a small element of his physical appearance was based on an irredeemable hack.

If it makes him feel any better... it's mostly Sean Connery.

@Professor Voodoo wrote:Something I forgot to mention in the PM's is that Elio would have to wear a 2-window dive mask...since he uses perscription ground lenses. A single window (like Marisa's) perscription mask does not exist.

Love it Alfisti. Great art there. And when I get the chance, they will be ripped for the wiki- credit given to you. Like I have for Rachel (and Francesca) art pages. Alass there is only one in each. I would like to add more.

@ElfenMagix wrote:Love it Alfisti. Great art there. And when I get the chance, they will be ripped for the wiki- credit given to you. Like I have for Rachel (and Francesca) art pages. Alass there is only one in each. I would like to add more.

Cheers man... if I find a moment I'd like to have a stab at Fernando and his mob too. At the moment though I've got a bit of a comic push on, been neglecting it finishing university and now have a fair bit of catching up to do.

Sorry, Alfisti, I don't mean to denigrate your art by it but I can't help but break out in a fit of giggles when looking at that Marisa sketch. "Hilariously oversized" doesn't begin to cover it - the poor girl looks like she's moving house.

I agree with Voodoo though that I do like her open laughing smile, very expressive.

@Robert Frazer wrote:Sorry, Alfisti, I don't mean to denigrate your art by it but I can't help but break out in a fit of giggles when looking at that Marisa sketch. "Hilariously oversized" doesn't begin to cover it - the poor girl looks like she's moving house.

Well I'm reasonably certain that a lot of that stuff doesn't come in kids sizes.

@Kiskaloo wrote:Seriously, he's supposed to be around 40 (probably moving to 45 in Pactio), but the "physical model" we've been kinda using (the guy in the Bentley GTC) is likely in his 30s.

I suppose that I was quite lucky in my choice of model for Avise. It isn't really as though Avise actually needs a model - his design was never particularly complicated in the first place - but still, when I decided to base his appearance off of Jon Hamm it turned out by complete coincidence that both his and the handlers' ages (39) match exactly. It reduces the need to interpolate wrinkles and creases!